Leeds nostalgia: All aboard for a trip back in time

This week’s film clip, courtesy of Yorkshire Film Archive, was made by Alan Sidi of the Mercury Movie Makers - it is a comical film that uses speeded up movement to show a train journey between Leeds and Bradford that takes less than ten minutes.

The film opens with a shot of a station clock at Leeds Central Station that reads 7:55 am. It is coupled with the title of the film’s name, 8’O’Clock Special.

A businessman in a bowler hat and suit, and carrying a long umbrella, enters the station and has his ticket checked at an old style ticket booth. He then boards the train, sits and reads The Times.

The train moves out of the station, and surrounding buildings are viewed from the carriage window as it travels along the track. The film is then speeded up as the train continues along the journey. The train speeds past buildings, houses, stations and other trains headed in the opposite direction. The once composed businessman, still reading his paper on the train, now looks slightly distraught. From the driver’s window the train finally arrives at the destination station, Bradford Interchange.

To view the full clip, head over to our website, under the nostalgia section and click the link: tinyurl.com/qaqs9zs